


Soldier Child

by WinterDrake



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Child Petra, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-17
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2018-03-18 06:16:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3559148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterDrake/pseuds/WinterDrake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After she was tricked into drinking a concoction made with Eren's blood by Hange, Petra is turned into a child. How will the Survey Corps handle a terrified little girl, with no memory of any of them, just wanting to see her parents?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was first posted on fanfiction.net.
> 
> I'm going to be using the Fountain of Youth trope in this fic. It might be a little overused but I personally love it so I hope those of you who also enjoy it like it as well!

"You asked for me, Squad Leader?" Petra's voice broke the silence in the room Hange had taken as her "lab". The castle the Survey Corps now used had plenty or rooms to spare so Hange had wasted no time in acquiring one for herself and her experiments. The eccentric woman lined the shelves in the room with bottles, beakers and tubes filled with an array of substances. Currently, Hange was watching over a gently simmering light pink substance. The mixture was suspended in a beaker over a flame by metal tongs connected to a stand. Petra wondered what the mixture was was but thought it best not to ask.

"Petra! I did in fact ask for you." Hange quickly turned around in excitement when Petra announced her presence. "It's very important but I'm going to need your secrecy in this matter." Hange's eyes gleamed as she sported a wide smile while Petra began to feel some unease. Just what did she want her to do? She neared her superior and the table.

"I'm glad Moblit was able to get you here so quick. That man is just so reliable, though he does tend to worry too much. I don't know what I would do with-"

"What did you need me for? I'd be... glad to help if I can." Petra cut her off before she could ramble. Levi wanted the weeds taken care of around the building and she promised to help Eren do that as it was quite a big job. Levi seemed to like to give the boy exhausting tasks. Maybe later, she could start a garden. It would be nice to grow some of their own food and maybe even some flowers!

"Wonderful!" Hange crowed in delight. She stepped back from the table and grabbed Petra's arm to pull her toward the heating mixture.

"Do you see this here? Its something I concocted that could be our ticket to being able to defeat the titans! It still in the testing stages but I truly believe this will work. I've chosen you out of all the people to take part in humanity's newest weapon. You should be flattered. You're going to be part of history!"

"O-Okay." Petra stuttered in surprise.

Hange beamed as she grabbed the beaker with her bare hands. With a cry she pulled it back realizing the beaker was too hot. She muttered angrily to herself as she strode away to grab a pair of tongs on a nearby table and came back. Petra just stayed where she was as her uneasiness grew. Hange grabbed the beaker with the tongs and poured the liquid into a small glass.

"Here!" She exclaimed excitedly as she pushed the quickly heating cup into Petra's hands. "Drink it." Petra used her fingertips to hold onto the rim as the bottom and sides quickly became too hot.

"You want me to drink this?" Petra exclaimed in horror, staring at the cup now in her hands. She swirled it a little and felt sick at the faint smell of copper coming off of it. The substance was pinkish in color and the same consistency as molasses.

"Yes!" The scientist noticed the unease on the soldier's face. "Don't worry, it's completely safe. I fed a previous batch to the rats I keep in my room and they are completely fine. There were no hoped for effects but I think I need a human test subject for my little serum to work properly."

"All you have to do is drink it and tell me if you feel any different. Moblit and I may follow you around for a few days and have you do some tests. It won't be that bad, honest!" Petra's head was spinning a bit in panic. There was no way she was going to do this. And did Commander Erwin know of this? Probably not since Hange wanted her to keep quiet about it. Also, Hange kept rats in her room? Petra shouldn't have been surprised but she was. She shuddered at the thought of Captain Levi finding out this little bit of information. He would probably make everyone clean the castle a second time to make sure there were no escaped rodents running around.

"I mean no disrespect squad leader Hange but I don't know if this is a good idea. I don't think Commander Erwin would like this. And I must admit that the thought of drinking this does not put me at ease." Petra admitted. She didn't want to be a part of this little experiment.

"Petra please! The drink shouldn't cause any major problems and I need a subject for research. I chose you because you are so sweet and kind- well when you are not pissed off at something- and seemed like the mostly likely to help me out. Please do this for me? I promise I will repay you someday! Pleeease?"

"I don't-"

"Petra! I really, really need this and none of my squad would agree to it. Your also just the right size for what I have in mind later." Hange begged, her eyes staring into Petra's golden ones. It looked like Petra was not the first choice for this experiment after all. The red haired soldier placed her right hand over her heart in respect, her left had held the cup so she could not do a proper salute, and announced her decision firmly.

"I am truly sorry Squad Leader but I can't agree to this. I don't believe this is safe and hope you reconsider what you are doing. You shouldn't be testing on humans like this. You don't know what this could do to them." Hange looked at her with wide eyes, not expecting her to refuse. She looked away for a few moments and then sighed deeply before speaking. Petra felt a little guilty at the sorrowful expression on Hange's face. Not enough to agree to the experiment however.

"... Maybe you are right. I shouldn't get so carried away. Even though I am so sure it won't hurt anyone, I guess there is a miniscule chance I could be mistaken. I'll just throw away weeks of research." She murmured as she took the cup from Petra's hands and placed it on the table. The substance had cooled somewhat so Hange could easily carry the cup without a problem.

"I am glad you agree. And like you want, I will not inform Commander Erwin of this. I think you should do that. Maybe they will agree with what you are doing and find a safer way to go about it." Petra felt bad keeping something like this from both of them however. If Hange had continued, Petra may have had to inform her superiors but she was glad Hange had reconsidered. She would have to keep an eye on her just in case.

"Maybe… And I'm sure they would be able to get someone to agree to being a test subject." Hange brightened at that. "You probably have things to do. I will see you later then right? Will you be in the dining hall for dinner?"

"Yes, I promised to help Eren clear the weeds outside. And my squad and I will be sitting together in the dining hall tonight. Thank you Squad Leader and I hope you are not too disappointed." Petra smiled as Hange shook her head waved her off.

"Go. Enjoy the fresh air!" The brown haired woman grinned.

Petra nodded and quickly rushed out of the room, eager to help Eren. He was probably waiting for her right now. Though Petra had been wary of him after he had turned into a titan, she had now quickly warmed to the boy. He seemed to be quite fond of her as well, telling her stories of the things he and his friends had gotten up to before and during their trainee days. Eren seemed to bring out the maternal side in her.

As she opened the main doors, Petra just hoped Hange would not try for another test subject. She did seem sincere about giving up on it for now but she could change her mind. It was probably best to talk to someone about this. She would mention it to Captain Levi if he wasn't busy tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

Later that evening as everyone gathered for dinner, Petra waved back to a smiling Hange sitting across from Captain Levi at a table. Her captain seemed to a little be put off by Hange's cheerfulness and he glared at her in suspicion as she waved to his subordinate. Even her squad mates, including Eren, gave her curious glances. They did not know Hange and Petra were close.

Petra's squad sat with Eren at a table near Squad Leader Hange and Captain Levi. Usually Captain Levi sat with his team as well but he wanted to talk to Hange about Eren and what she had learned from her experiments with the teen so far.

Petra ignored the glances from her friends and said her greetings before sitting down and digging into her meal of beef stew and bread. The stew was more vegetables than beef but meat was expensive and they could not afford anything better. She was fairly hungry thanks to the hard work they had done that day and had been looking forward to dinner for hours. The young woman let the conversation of her squadmates wash over her as she ate. Auruo compared Eren to one of his annoying and overly curious little brothers as Eren vehemently denied the comparison, Eld mentioned that he was going to see his fiancee in a week and Gunther asked their opinion on what would be a good gift for his grandfather. Eld's suggestion of great-grandkids was met with a stern glare. Petra laughed and almost choked on her food at Eld's suggestion.

Eren, bless that boy, quickly handed her a cup to drink from. She downed half of it before noticing the odd taste. Salty and sweet, a bit like rotten fruit someone tried to season with salt. The aftertaste was worse than the initial taste. Very metallic.

"Ugh! Eren where did you get this?" Petra grimaced and almost gagged. She held a hand to her mouth and stared at the glass. Had the glass not been cleaned or something?

"I'm sorry Miss Petra! Squad Leader Hange told me to give you that. She said it was some medicine she made for you so that's probably why it tastes bad. I hope you'll feel better now. Hange was very insistent that you got it." So Hange had used Eren's naivety to get her to drink? Petra felt a wave of anger towards the brunette for using Eren to get her to drink her serum. But now what would happen to her?

Petra could feel a wave of dizziness and nausea affecting her not even twenty seconds after she had ingested Hange's concoction. She dropped the glass with a loud clatter, spilling the rest of the liquid on the ground, and clutched her head as it began to throb. Her friends stopped to stare at her, as well as a few people around them who heard the noise, including her captain. The ginger haired woman began to breathe deeply until she felt a little better before she tried to say anything.

"It's not your fault but I don't think that was medicine Eren." Petra grit out over her sickness to the worried youth. She glanced at the concerned faces of her friends before looking away. She thought she saw Captain Levi stand up from his seat near Hange and Moblit but her vision had begun to blur so she was not sure if he really had.

"Then what was it?" Eren stared and her in confusion. Petra didn't answer as the nausea was getting worse. She tried to stand up from her seat but slumped back down when her legs would not support her. The young woman tried again and forced her body to stand on shaky legs. The urge to retch was powerful and if she was going to throw up, she wanted to do it in private without everyone looking at her.

"Petra, you alright?" Oluo asked as he stood up from his own seat. He could tell she wasn't. Eld and Gunther also rose, nearing their friend.

"N-no, I-I don't feel very good." Petra groaned and collapsed backwards before she could say any more. Her last clear thoughts were that she would find a way to get her revenge on Hange. Her friends cried her name and Oluo was able to catch her before she hit the ground. She felt him lower her gently until her back met the floor. She faintly heard Eld calling for a nurse and Captain Levi ordering someone to move out of his way. As Petra lay on the floor, she cursed herself for not telling Commander Erwin and Captain Levi about Hange. Her current condition was thanks to that mistake. Slowly, all sounds and feelings around her faded as she began to lose consciousness.

* * *

"Petra?" Captain Levi called his subordinate's name but received no reply but a pained groan. Blood began to leak from the young woman's ears and nose. Other people in the room stood up and walked over to to see what was happening.

"What the hell's wrong with her?" Levi questioned the males of his team.

"I don't know! Squad leader Hange told me to give her a drink and then this happened after she drank it. She told me it was Petra's medicine!" Eren admitted in a panicked voice. He was near tears as he looked at the prone woman on the floor.

"Shitty-Glasses!" Levi bellowed angrily and turned to find the self proclaimed scientist with a pen and notebook in her hands. She stood with Moblit, who was looking somewhat guilty, realizing part of this was his fault for bringing Petra to Hange.

"Just what the fuck did you do to my subordinate?"

"Uh, it's nothing serious! She should be fine in a little while! I think?"

"You. Think." He repeated menacingly, advancing on her in anger.

"Hey, calm down now. She'll be fine. That rats I tested it on are all okay!" Hange replied a little sheepishly while raising her hands in front of her. Of course, the rats didn't display any of the symptoms Petra was showing right now but the scientist decided she wouldn't mention that just yet. She was sure the serum was not lethal and the Petra would be fine in a little bit. Hopefully with some of the desired effects of the serum.

Levi opened his mouth to say more but there was yelling and then a scream from the crowd surrounding Petra. He turned back to push past the crowd that had formed around his subordinate. He stopped when he saw a large pool of blood on ground. Levi's eyes traveled to the source of the blood and he took a few moments to just stare in disbelief at what he saw.

"What the hell?" He breathed as he took in the sight before him.

In the center of the pool of crimson liquid was Petra, or what he thought was Petra. Unless he was seeing things, Petra had shrunk. The blood covered uniform was much larger than the body that now wore it. The miniature form of his subordinate was laying on the ground with her teammates staring at her in a slack-jawed stupor. The small form was breathing so she was alive, which came as a relief to Levi and everyone else in the room. Levi felt Hange move beside him after a few moments. She took a second to take in what had happened before speaking.

"Oops?"


	3. Chapter 3

Loud muffled voices woke the young red-haired girl from her sleep. Petra blinked a few times to clear away the haziness and yawned, closing her eyes once more afterwards. She was so tired. Her body also ached for some reason so she rolled over to snuggle into the bed. However, Petra could not help but feel as if something was off. Her bed felt too hard and the blankets were scratchy, not soft like the one her aunt had gifted her and she always used. The voices Petra heard before got louder which made it hard to fall back asleep. She wondered if her father invited his friends over again.

After a few failed minutes trying, Petra decided to get up. She pushed herself into a sitting position, which made her lightheaded for a few moments, and finally took a look at her surroundings. She could feel herself grow uneasy as she looked around her. The bed she had been laying on was not her own. Even the room she was in was not hers. The walls were made of stone and there was but a few pieces of furniture around her. Her own, much smaller room, was almost cluttered with furniture and toys.

_Where am I? And why am I wearing these clothes. They're not mine!_

The white pants and shirt she now wore were much too big for her. The pants had been tied around her waist with a belt, they were so big! The girl couldn't help but feel some alarm at her current situation as she realized these things. And where were her parents?

"Mother? Father?" She called in a small, hoarse voice, though it was unlikely they could hear her if they were outside her door. She cleared her throat and called louder. "Mother! Father!"

But there was no reply.

Petra moved off the bed and stumbled as she tried to walk to the door. She saw the problem and quickly rolled up her pants legs so she could move without tripping over them. The shirt she was wearing was short sleeved but it came down almost to her knees. The girl wondered why she was wearing clothes that were so big on her.

Hesitantly, Petra approached the only door in the room. She could still hear the voices outside. The wooden door was heavy as she tried to pull it open. The girl managed to open it a crack to look and listen. There were two adults outside, a tall brunette with glasses with her hair in a half ponytail and a short black-haired man that she could not see the face of. The hair on the back of his head looked to have been cut shorter than the rest. Both adults were wearing light brown jackets and white pants. Their clothes looked familiar but Petra could not remember where she had seen them before.

"Its not like anything truly horrible happened." The brunette was saying to the man, who looked to have his arms crossed in front of him.

"Nothing bad? What the fuck do you expect me to do now, send a little girl to fight titans?" The man replied angrily.

_Titans? Those monsters Father had told her about?_

The man's voice was harsh and he had swore, which made Petra uneasy. Though she did not know what was going on, Petra had no choice but to ask these for help. Maybe they would know where her parents were?

She opened the door wider and slipped outside. The door shut with a small sound which caused both the woman and the man to look at her. The man had intense grey eyes and his eyebrows were furrowed, making him look like he was angry. Petra looked away quickly, finding his gaze unnerving. Petra didn't say anything, suddenly anxious but she forced herself to speak. She was normally very good with strangers but she was quite confused as to where she was and how she got here.

"Umm, do you know… where my parents are?" Petra asked nervously as she glanced up briefly. The man sighed and ran his fingers through his hair while the woman looked gave the man an apologetic and sheepish smile.

"She's asking for her parents, Shitty-Glasses. Are you still so sure she is going to remember? He barked at her harshly. His tone made Petra take a few steps away. The woman just laughed at the man's angry question.

"Levi, I can fix this! If I could do this then there should be a way to reverse it. Don't worry about a thing!" She looked over at the confused little girl and the way she backed up thanks to Levi's outburst. She pushed him aside to step forward and crouch near the girl.

"Hi Petra! Do you know we are?" Hange asked brightly. The girl shook her head.

"I'm Hange! And that's Levi." She pointed to the man behind her. "And I am going to help you."

"To find my parents?" Petra asked hopefully.

"Oh no, to get you back to the way you were! I'll need you to come with me. I want to study you." Hange continued, grabbing the girl's arm and pulling her along. Petra refused to move however and tried to free her arm. Hange stopped pulling let go of the girl's arm when she was met with resistance.

"Oh, don't worry! I'm not going to cut you open or anything. I only do that to Titans." The scientist tried to comfort. "I do want to take some blood samples though. I'll need a needle for that. I'm sure a big girl like you wouldn't be scared of a little needle, or few, right? Me and my partner will just observe and do some tests."

"Cut… Me open? Needles?" Petra's whispered as she froze in horror. Tears began to form in her amber eyes. Levi noticed them and roughly pulled Hange away from the frightened youth.

"You're scaring her, dumbass." Levi remarked exasperatedly.

"Me? Likely she's terrified of your grumpy face. Learn to smile more!" Hange scolded, oblivious to the fact that it was not entirely Levi who had scared the girl. She turned back to the terrified red head.

"Petraaaa! I'll take good care of you! Why don't you give your aunt Hange a big hug before we go!" Hange threw her arms open and advanced on the girl.

Petra did not wan to go with the scary woman. What would she do to her? When the glasses wearing woman neared, Petra screamed and turned tail to run instead.


	4. Chapter 4

"Fuck!" Levi swore as he pushed Hange out of his way. The scientist cried out and windmilled her arms to keep her balance.

"Do us all a favor and stay the hell away from the kid unless I give you permission." Levi snapped in exasperation as he tried to follow Petra. Before he could get too far though, he felt Hange grab his arm.

"What? No! I need to study her! What about-"

"I don't care!" Levi growled as he eventually broke free of her desperate grip. Petra now had a head start on him, thanks to his obsessive comrade. Levi needed to get to her before she got lost or hurt herself. This would be troublesome, he wasn't good with kids. The black haired man lost sight of her as the young girl turned the corner to the right.

Levi sprinted after her but stopped after he turned the same corner, his sharp gaze quickly finding that some of his men were on the other end of the hallway. Petra was looking behind her as she ran down the corridor and did not notice the three men she was heading for. Levi's squad had arrived just in time to unintentionally block the girl's escape.

Levi slowed then stopped, deciding it would be best to wait and see what happened. He doubted a little girl would be able to get past Oluo, Eld and Gunther. It would be interesting to see how this played out. The less he dealt with Petra in her current state, the better. The runt was already terrified of him thanks in part to Hange. He didn't deny that it was probably not all her though.

* * *

_I need to find Mother and Father!_

Petra panted as fled down the stone corridor and past several rooms, hoping to find some way to get out of this place and find her parents. Those people she met were scary. The girl looked back to see the black haired man start to come after her. She gasped and her heart beat even faster in her chest. She could feel an ache in her stomach as she thought of what would happen to her if she was caught.

Petra turned the corner and tried to run faster as she turned her head to keep an eye behind her. As she was not paying attention, she reached the end of the corridor only to slam into a large body. She cried out in pain while the the person she collided with yelled in surprise. The girl landed on her rear and quickly scrambled to get herself back on her feet, breathing harshly.

"Woah… Petra?" A man spoke. Petra looked up fearfully to see a tall blonde man with a goatee. Behind him were two other men, one dark haired and a little taller than the blonde and the other white haired and shorter than both of the others. All three of them were staring at her. How did the blonde man know her name? She had never seen him before! What if he was with that strange woman from earlier? They were all wearing the same clothes as the other two so they must be!

"Uh… Umm... I-I need to go." Petra stuttered out with wide eyes and turned around to run back. Maybe she could duck past the black-haired man and hide in one of the rooms?

"Hey wait!" A third voice called out. Petra then heard footsteps behind her. "Stop!"

Petra ignored them and tried to run. She was quickly caught by the blonde man however. He grabbed her arm tightly pulled her closer to him. The little girl screamed and pulled her arm hard, trying to break free of his grip, but to no avail. Petra then tried to kick him with little effect. It was like kicking a wall.

"Calm down Petra. It just us!" The blonde man spoke again. Petra screamed again and tried to get away, feebly scratching the arm that held her with her blunt nails. That didn't work either so she lower her head and tried to charge. The man holding her noticed what she was about to do and easily kept her from performing the action. As a last attempt, Petra bit the arm holding her, hard. This had an effect and the man cried out and let go.

Now free, Petra realized she had no where to go. As she struggled with the first man, the other two had surrounded her. She backed up to press herself against the wall behind her. She whipped her head left and right, looking to escape but could find none. Tears began to form in her eyes as she realized she was trapped, with neither of her parents here to save her. Petra slid down the wall and hugged herself as she began to cry, loudly.

"F-father!" The girl screamed and broke down in tears. "M-mother! H-help m-me!"

The three men exchanged looks of horror for scaring their friend to tears. Thinking fast, the dark haired man knelt down to her level, and motioned for the other two to do the same. Petra cringed and pressed her hands over her face as she continued crying. Maybe she thought if she couldn't see them then they would disappear.

"Petra? Hey, its okay. We're not going to hurt you. Don't you remember us, you're friends? It's Gunther. And that's Eld and Oluo." Gunther spoke gently as he pointed to himself and his friends. Petra shook her head, refusing to move her hands from her face, though they could see she was trying to secretly peek from them.

"I d-don't know y-you. I want m-mother!" Petra sobbed. The three men looked at each other again, trying to think of something they could do in this situation. It didn't look like Petra remembered any of them. The way she was behaving, it seemed like Petra body as well as her mind was that of a child. Even if her parents were here, it would be hard to explain why they looked so different. They needed to figure out a way to keep her calm until she was turned back into her adult self.

"So you don't remember us? That's okay. Will you trust us if you tell you where you parents are?" Eld asked, taking the initiative and hoping his plan would work.

" _Bring them!_ "

"I can't but I'll tell you where your parents are. You have to stop crying though, okay? We're your friends and we're not going to hurt you, I promise."

"L-liar!"

"Okay, if we really weren't would we know that you like to play with your toy horse that your parents got for your second birthday and you named Lightning? Or that your favorite fruits are strawberries and peaches?" Oluo smiled as he said this, hoping he came off as non-threatening.

"You also broke your father favorite pen when you were four and didn't tell him." Gunther added. Petra had told them of her childhood some time ago. They didn't remember everything but they tried mentioning a few things they were clear on. Petra looked to be about five or six years old so they would need to be careful and only mention things that happened earlier in her life.

"How do y-you..." Petra trailed off.

"You told us."

The girl removed her hands from her eyes and looked at them warily. She attempted to stifle her hiccups and sniffles, beginning to believe the men in front of her. How else would they know those things about her unless she told them?

"You've been sick a long time and your parents left to get you medicine. We met you when they brought you here but you got really sick a few days later. That's probably why you don't remember us." Eld began after a minute even though all the sniffles hadn't stopped yet. He was making up a bunch of horse-shit but all he could hope is that Petra would fall for it.

"I was... sick?" Petra repeated. Was that why she didn't feel very good when she woke up?

"Yes, very sick. You parents brought you here because... the hospital was full." Oluo added, catching on attempting to help.

"W-where are they?" Petra appreared to have bought it. She was much more calm as she spoke.

"You parents were worried and wanted to get the medicine as fast as possible so they're in Sina right now. They left you with us because they knew we would take care of you." Gunther explained gently.

"They l-left me?" Petra could feel the tears forming in her eyes again.

"They didn't want to!" Oluo hastily added. "You were too sick to go with them. Now that you're better we'll let them know to come back."

"So I'll see them... Soon?"

"In a few days or so. That not that bad right? You'll see them soon." Eld reassured.

"But that's a... really long time."

"I know but don't you want them to be proud of what a brave girl you are? You can tell them how you didn't cry and at all when you got better. They'll be happy that you were such a good girl. Don't worry, we'll keep today a secret." Eld winked conspiratorially as he grinned at her. Petra looked at their faces in turn and nodded. These men didn't act like bad men. She felt guilty for causing them so much trouble after they seemed to have taken such good care of her.

"I wasn't really scared." She whispered as she sniffled again. "Sorry for hurting you Mr. Eld. And I'm sorry for screaming at everyone."

"Its okay. And you don't have to call us Mr. It makes us sound old! I know you're a big girl but did you want me to carry you back to your room?" Eld offered. Petra nodded shyly so he put his arms around her to lift her up. She put her own around his neck. The three men sighed in relief as their impromptu plan worked. Eld clapped Gunther on his back while Oluo gave him a relieved smile. They didn't really know what was going on but Petra, no matter how old she looked and thought she was, was their friend and companion. They would help her no matter what.

* * *

Levi watched the exchange with approval. His subordinates hadn't noticed him yet as they were too busy with Petra.

Humanity's strongest sighed in relief as Petra fell for the lies. It was lucky Petra was so trusting as a child and didn't realize all the holes in his men's story. Hopefully this would keep her calm until Hange found a way to reverse the effects of whatever shit she gave her. That crazy woman told him one of the ingredients of her experiment was blood from the Yeager boy. The thought made him shudder in disgust.

* * *

"Good work." The three men halted at the praise of their captain. He was leaning against the wall. Just how long had he been there? Petra's eyes widened when she saw Levi and she hid her face in the crook of Eld's neck. Even if he was helping her, the man had scary look.

"Thank you Captain!" The men responded.

"I don't know how long until Petra...'s parents come back so we'll have to keep her here until then. Someone will need to watch her and keep Shitty Glasses away."

"I don't mind Captain! I have experience in taking care of children. I have many siblings after all." Oluo offered.

"I don't mind either. She's a cute little thing." Eld laughed.

"I think she'll be pretty well behaved from what Petra...'s parents told us of her childhood. Unless she's scared, of course." Gunther amended.

"She'd better be. I don't want another screaming kid running around here wetting themselves. We already have the titan brat to deal with. You won't be able to take care of her all the time however. I'll get Yeager and one of the female members to help out." He sighed visibly. "Fuck, this is troublesome. Fucking glasses couldn't have kept away from my squad?"

The men winced at their captain's choice of words. Though they also swore, they felt as if it were wrong to do so in front of a child. None of them spoke up however and let Levi continue.

"Bring Petra to Yeager for now and get him to babysit. Then get yourselves outside. This incident won't get you off the hook from training."


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm sorry!" Eren apologized and bowed his head at his tiny superior. He felt so guilty. Petra was like this because of him. Had he not given her that drink, this never would have happened. No one in the Survey Corps seemed to blame him but the boy felt guilty all the same.

Eren didn't know what to feel about Squad Leader Hange. She had tricked and used him but she really hadn't meant for this to happen. The veteran soldier said she did this so they could find a better way to fight the Titans. Eren was a little angry with her but he could also understand her position. He was glad Petra was not hurt but the current situation was not great.

"Umm, why?" Petra cocked her head to the right in confusion as she looked at him from his bed. Eld had set her down on the bed in Eren's cell after Oluo quietly explained the situation to him. The white haired man had also threatened to hurt him if anything happened to Petra. Eren knew he had to be careful what he said and did around the young girl.

"Uh, nevermind…" Eren muttered. Petra didn't know why he was apologizing and it probably wouldn't end well if he tried to explain everything to her. The boy sat down on the end of the bed. The men of Squad Levi told him to keep Petra occupied but he didn't know what to do. He turned to look at her, as she looked down and awkwardly played with the hem of her long shirt. Someone would need to find her clothes that fit soon.

Eren could tell she was a little uncomfortable being here, with someone she did not remember meeting. He found it strange seeing a member of the Survey Corps in such a form. Petra had been kind to him, but she had a temper when riled and was a fierce fighter. This shy little girl was not the same woman he knew.

"Do you... Want to do something?" Eren asked, scratching his head as he tried to think of something he could do to help her become more comfortable with him. What had he done with Armin at her age? They would play outside, read fairy tales, prank their parents. Should he take her outside? There was at least another hour until the sun set.

"I... don't know." Petra hesitantly answered. She did not know this boy, though she wished she did. To her, Eren looked friendly and his green eyes were pretty.

"Okay." Eren remained awkwardly silent for a few moments. He heard a faint rumble of a stomach which was not his own. He looked over at Petra to find her with a small blush on her cheeks.

"I'm hungry." She admitted.

"Oh! Then lets go to the kitchen. We can make something." Why hadn't he asked that already? Of course she would be hungry, she hadn't eaten since she woke up! The poor girl was probably starving right now. Eren knew he would be a terrible babysitter.

"Okay." Petra responded with a smile. Eren jumped off of his bed and watched as Petra did the same, with an adorable little cry. She fixed her clothing before looking up at Eren again.

"... Eren?"

"Yeah?"

"Why am I wearing these big clothes and not my own?"

"Ah. Umm. Well… You're parents were in such a rush that they forgot to pack clothes for you. The ones you came with got ruined." Eren did not want to lie but he had to.

"I was really that sick?"

"Yeah, you were." Eren remembered the blood over the floor. He had been terrified that Hange's drink had killed Petra. He did not want to lose anyone else. "I'm so glad you're okay though Petra. I was so worried." She shyly smiled at him in return which warmed his heart.

* * *

"-then I saw the blue butterfly! Father says its good luck to see one." Petra finished her story proudly, like chasing a butterfly had been one of the most amazing things she had done. She stood beside him as he cut some bread, cheese and tomatoes for the sandwiches. Eren had asked her what she wanted but Petra had been indecisive. His suggestion of sandwiches had been met with approval thankfully.

As Eren had begun taking things out to make her an early dinner, Petra began to open up to him. She had forgotten her shyness and talked. Alot. Eren wondered if he talked so much as a kid. He probably did but just didn't remember it.

"I'm sure it is! Why don't we go outside as see if we can find a blue butterfly too?" Eren suggested. He was happy that she was happy. He would make up his mistake and make sure she was not sad.

"Can we make cookies? Mother always let me help her so I know how." Petra asked as she watched Eren finish making her dinner.

"I don't know if we have everything here for that."

"Can you check, please?" She begged, her eyes wide with anticipation.

"I don't know if Captain Levi would like that? Maybe we could make them tomorrow after asking?"

"Aww." Petra looked crestfallen. She didn't say anything else as she watched Eren place two sandwiches on a plate and fill up a glass of water for her. She followed him as he led the way to the dining room. It was a little early for the soldier's dinner so the place was empty. Eren wasn't going to eat until later, when everyone else did.

"Is the Captain the scary man?" Petra asked quietly, as if the man was near enough to overhear her if she talked normally.

"Oh, yeah. I guess he is." Eren admitted. "Uh, not that you should be scared of him. He…" He trailed off, not knowing what else to say. So far, Eren had not been receiving end of much kindness from the man. It felt like he just tolerated Eren because he was one of their only hopes against the Titans. Lately though, Eren had felt Levi had begun to treat him better, like one of his team instead of a monster.

"He's not that bad, I think. He's just looks a little scary. I'm sure he would never do anything or let anything happen to you." Eren finished. Petra looked at him as if thinking over his words.

Eren placed the plate and glass on the table and helped Petra sit on the seat. He sat down beside her afterwards as she began to eat. He could tell she had been very hungry with the way she tore into her meal.

"Hey, slow down. You're going to make a mess." Eren laughed when she looked at him with her cheeks bulging with food. Her cheeks turned red and she swallowed so she could speak.

"Sorry." She apologized and tried to clean the crumbs, which had been scattered on the table, by sweeping them up in her hands.

"It's fine. I'll clean that up so don't worry it. You just finish eating." Eren offered. Petra smiled and finished up the sandwich at a slower pace. She then reached for the other one on the plate. Eren was glad he made two as he anticipated Petra still being hungry.

The girl munched on her second sandwich contentedly, praising Eren for his sandwich making skills. Even if it came from a little girl, the praise made him blush. Petra was about to ask Eren for some more water when she heard quick footsteps coming towards them. The dining room's door burst open to reveal a familiar figure.

"Heeey! There you are, Petra!" Hange's voice stopped Petra cold. She stared wide eyed at the brunette woman standing in the door frame. Eren quickly got up and put himself in front of Petra.

"Eren?" Petra's voice wobbled slightly and she jumped from her chair to get behind him. She grabbed onto his shirt with her hands.

"Don't be afraid! I'm just- AH!" Her words were cut off as someone else appeared behind her.

"What did I say to you?" Levi's rough voice made Petra tighten her grip on Eren. Levi pulled on Squad Leader Hange's ponytail and forced her away from the two in the dining room. "Move. You'll get to play with Eren tomorrow so just keep away from the girl."

Hange rubbed her head with a dejected expression after Levi let go of her but she followed his order and walked away. Levi watched her until she left his sight. He then turned back to face Eren and Petra.

"Has Petra been any trouble?" Levi asked. The girl jumped at the sound of her name from his mouth.

"No! She's been very well behaved." Eren smiled and turned to pat Petra's head affectionately.

"Good. Bring her to Nifa tonight. She's offered to bathe her and share her room."

"Yes sir!" Eren responded and saluted his captain as he turned to leave. Petra let go of him after Levi left. She frowned and sniffed herself gingerly. Eren was going to ask her what she was doing when she she asked him a question that explained it.

"Do I really need to take a bath?" Her question caught Eren off guard. He thought she would still be scared, not ask him whether or not she stank. She probably didn't need one just yet when Eren though about it. One of the nurses had bathed her to clean the blood off of her last night.

"It's always good to take one but I'm pretty sure you're going to need one after we go outside. You still want to, right?"

"Yeah!" Petra exclaimed enthusiastically. She helped Eren clean up and they returned to the kitchen to put aside the second half-eaten sandwich. Petra had been too full to finish it but promised to eat it later.

* * *

Together they left the castle to enjoy the sunshine. As soon as they stepped outside however, Petra caught a glimpse the horses. She pointed to them and dragged Eren over to see them. Dita allowed them entry into the stable with a smirk, seeing how Eren couldn't say no to the girl. He had already been informed of the strange situation.

Petra was fascinated by the horses. She shrieked in delight when one of the horses ate some of the hay she offered from her hands. Eren was careful to make sure she didn't get her hand bitten. The girl spent the rest of the day annoying the horses until it was dinner time with Eren watching over her. The horses didn't seem to mind too much, trained to be used to noise and surprises.

As daylight began to fade, Eren ushered Petra back inside. She waved goodbye to the horses before leaving. Though Petra wanted to ride the horses, Eren would not allow her. He didn't want her getting hurt if she fell off.

"I'm going to tell Mother and Father all about this!" Petra laughed excitedly as she followed Eren once more. Eren smiled at her in amusement. He didn't think horses were all that exciting but Petra sure did.

"They'll be back soon, right?" Petra's wide and innocent eyes looked into Eren's own as he turned to face her. It made him feel guilty to lie to such a trusting little girl.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it." Eren grinned at her, leading her to the dining room. He would eat and then give Petra to Nifa afterwards. He hoped there had been progress on figuring out a way to turn Petra back to normal. They couldn't lie to her forever.


	6. Chapter 6

"Morning!" Petra's cheery voice made the three male members of her squad smile as they approached her. Their friend, still in the form of a little girl sat with Nifa on the table Squad Levi normally did. The clothes she wore were still too big for her, the Survey Corps not having any small child size clothing whatsoever. Someone had cut the pants and sleeves of her current clothing so it fit better though.

"She wanted to sit with you this morning." Nifa explained as she got up from their table and gave the girl a fond smile."I need to get back to my squad but I'll take her again tonight. I might even be able to travel to town tonight and get some better clothes."

"Thank you Nifa." Eld smiled at her in gratitude. "I'm glad we can count on you to help us out."

"You're welcome! I'm always happy to help, especially fellow soldiers." She replied as she pet Petra's head in goodbye before turning to leave.

"Bye!" Petra waved and Nifa took a moment to do the same before hurrying off to find her squad leader. Hange was likely with Eren right now, as she requested the boy's presence for testing this morning.

"How did your day with Eren go?" Oluo asked curiously as he sat on a chair beside the young girl. If the boy had done anything wrong, Oluo would make sure he paid for it. Gunther and Eld sat on the opposite side of the table Petra and Oluo did.

"It was great! He made me sandwiches for dinner and I got to play with the horses. They were so big! And they ate grass from my hands!" She was beaming as she showed them her hands in pride. "I didn't get to ride them but I really like big brother Eren!"

"Big brother?" Oluo repeated with a hint of jealousy. "Well your three  _better_ big brothers will make sure you have even more fun today  _and_ you'll get to ride a horse." Both Eld and Gunther smiled at Oluo's words.

"What about your night with Nifa?" Eld inquired, a little curious himself. He was sure Petra would not have been much trouble for the woman.

"Sister Nifa is really nice too but I like Eren better." Petra gasped after she finished her sentence. "Don't tell her I said that?"

"Don't worry, we can keep a secret." Eld assured the panicked girl. She seemed relieved and gave him a smile.

"So Petra, what did you want to do today?" Gunther asked. All three men had a bit of time before training so earlier that morning they decided they would spend it with Petra.

"Ummm… Hide and seek?"

"Ah, what about something else?" Gunther asked quickly. Hide and seek? That was so… Childish. It would be embarrassing for a grown man to play such a game. Petra shook her head. Now she really wanted to play. She remembered how she would always get Father and Mother to play with her when she wanted them to.

"Please can we play hide and seek? Please?" The little girl pouted and tilted her head down, looking up at Gunther with wide, pleading eyes. This was a look that one of Petra's friends had taught her. He said it was called "puppy dog eyes." The effect of that look was not something Gunther enjoyed. The poor man felt guilty at the obvious manipulative look and the word "yes" was just sitting on the tip of his tongue, waiting to be said. He held strong though and said nothing.

"What's wrong? Is Mr. Serious scared of playing a little game? Are you really going to disappoint our little sister?" Eld couldn't help but grin as he faked being outraged at the thought.

"Maybe he just knows he's terrible at the game and doesn't want to lose to a little girl?" Oluo added with a smirk. With three against one, Gunther had no choice but to relent.

"... Fine. Hide and seek it is." Gunther sighed in defeat. Petra cheered while Oluo and Eld laughed. It would be amusing to see the normally serious Gunther playing a silly kid's game.

Petra's stomach growled, alerting her squad that they should get her, and themselves, some breakfast.

"Come on Petra, let's go get something to eat." Oluo said as he got out of his chair. Eld and Gunther got up as well.

"Okay!" Petra hopped off her own chair and skipped a little as she followed the men into the kitchen.

* * *

As they ate their meals of apples and porridge, Gunther noticed Petra seemed a little distracted. She stared at her food a long while before she began eating, as if she was thinking hard about something. Gunther nudged Eld and pointedly looked at Petra when he turned to him.

Petra was absentmindedly chewing a slice of apple as she stared the wall. Petra liked eating apples when they were cut so she asked the soldier in the kitchen to cut hers into slices for her. He was kind enough to do so but now her breakfast reminded Petra of her parents. When her mother made porridge, and there were apples in the house, she would always cut the apples for her. Her father liked to make faces and shapes by placing the cut apple slices on top of her porridge as well. Petra tried to do it on her own but its wasn't the same.

Oluo noticed she hadn't eaten but a few of her apple slices while the men were more than halfway done their own meals. She had at one point places a few of the apple slices on top of her porridge and then picked them out again.

"So Petra, how do you like your breakfast? I think the apples are nice and juicy and the porridge is pretty good too!" Oluo attempted to draw the young girl into conversation. Petra blinked as if startled at his voice.

"... Its good." She responded quietly after giving him a glance. The young girl began to slowly stir the porridge in the bowl but didn't take a bite.

"Big brother Eld, will Mother and Father be coming today?" The men paused their meal and glanced at each other in guilt. They did not like lying, especially to their friend, no matter her state.

"Ah, not just yet Petra." Eld replied gently. He hoped she would not be too sad.

"Why not? Don't they want to see me?" Petra's head lowered so it was hard to tell her expression.

"Of course they do." Eld reassured gently. "We just sent someone to let them know yesterday. It will take a few more days, okay?"

"... Okay." Petra was quiet the rest of the meal, to the dismay of her friends, but she did end up finishing her breakfast.

* * *

The game of hide and seek cheered up Petra considerably. She was quiet until the men began to discuss the best place to play. They decided to play it in the Survey Corps building but limiting it to one section where only the bedrooms and several supply closets were located. It would be safer for Petra that way and they made her promise she would stay within the limits of the game.

Petra volunteered to be the first to count and let the men hide. In the first round, Eld chose to hide underneath a bed, Oluo chose a bedroom closet and Gunther tried to hide behind a door after he stood in indecision to where he could hide and ran out of time to choose a better spot. Gunther was the first to be found in that round. Eld resorted to making noises before Petra could find him and Oluo left the closet door open so he was easier to find. The young girl shrieked and laughed in delight as she found each of the men in their hiding spots.

When it was Petra's turn to hide, the men pretended not to hear her giggling when they passed her hiding spots. The girl couldn't seem to stop herself from laughing when any one of them neared her chosen hiding spot.

After many rounds, everyone was exhausted and slightly embarrassed. Several soldiers had passed by and gave them odd looks. Gunther was the most embarrassed of the group because of this as Eld and Oluo were able to laugh it off easily. Petra just blushed and ran to find her big brothers when she was caught hiding in a supply closet by a confused Survey Corps member. She forgot about it quickly and hid there again the next round.

Deciding that they had enough, Squad Levi headed to the kitchen for water and a bit of rest before training began for the men. They would need to find Eren again so he could babysit Petra once more. Hange would likely be done with Eren by now and was hopefully working on a cure for Petra.


	7. Chapter 7

Petra wanted to watch the men train. She no longer remembered what the 3DMG was but when she saw Oluo putting it on, she became curious. Oluo explained how it worked and Petra decided she wanted to see it and would play with Eren later. Even telling the young girl that Captain Levi would be there did not dissuade her from wanting to go with them, though she did hesitate before begging, with puppy dog eyes, to stay once more.

Not believing he would say yes, Oluo asked Captain Levi if Petra could watch them. Surprisingly, Levi said he would allow it as long as the girl did not distract anyone. Petra was ecstatic when she was told this by Oluo. The white-haired man then let Eren know that he didn't need to babysit and the men took the young girl with them to a nearby forest. The forest was only a short walk from the Survey Corps building.

Petra sat in clearing as she watched in visible awe as Oluo, Eld and Gunther used their 3DMG in the trees. The men tried keeping to her line of sight when they could, just to show off for her a little.

Petra stood mesmerized at the way the men used their gear. Both her eyes were wide and she had a big grin on her face. Eld, Gunther and Oluo flew through the air like birds. They flipped and jumped and slashed with their swords. She laughed in delight when the men waved to her a few times. Petra wanted to cheer them on but she didn't think Captain Levi would like that.

As Petra watched her "older brothers", she began to sneak glances at the Captain. At first he just watched the men as they practiced, ordering them to do one maneuver or another. He then joined them to demonstrate new maneuvers or how a certain ones could be done better. Even Petra could tell that Captain Levi was better than the others with the 3DMG.

The young girl began to wonder what the Captain was really like. Eld, Gunther and Oluo liked him and they were really nice. Did that mean he was nice too? Mother always told her that some people looked frightening but that didn't mean they were bad. Mr. Lukas, Petra's neighbor, was like that. He looked really scary with the big scar on his face but he had been really nice when he found her lost in town one day. He had quickly brought her back to her worried parents. Petra visited him often after that and felt bad she had thought he was mean because of his face.

After training, everyone was both exhausted and hungry as they walked back. Levi left for his room while the rest of Squad Levi went to the kitchen. Petra spent the entire lunch meal pestering the men with questions about everything from how it felt to be in the air to whether they ever had bugs fly into their mouths. The answer was sadly yes to the latter.

"I'm going to grow up to be a soldier just like you!" Petra vowed after their meal. Gunther smiled, knowing she was once an amazing soldier and would hopefully be again soon.

Afterwards, Petra joined the men as they cleaned their headquarters once again. Captain Levi wanted everything cleaned from top to bottom once a week and it was that time again. Petra helped by bringing the men water when they asked for it and hopping onto their shoulders to reach higher spots. The men noticed she seemed distracted as she helped them, like she was thinking of something but would quickly snap out of it. It took them almost until dinner to finish cleaning.

* * *

Petra was quiet once again as Squad Levi ate dinner together. She kept glancing at the door, as if she was waiting for someone. The men noticed her happiness from earlier seemed to have dissipated.

Gunther put Petra's plate of food on the table and sat down beside her. It vegetable soup, mostly potato, and a hunk of bread. The girl looked at it before sighing and turning away.

"I don't want it." Petra mumbled. There was nothing wrong with the meal but she didn't feel hungry.

"What's wrong? It may look a little bland but it's tasty!" Oluo took a big bite of his soup and smiled when she turned to look at him. Petra shook her head in response and crossed her arms.

"Petra, you have to eat it. We don't have much else to offer and you want to grow up big and strong don't you?" Eld insisted.

"I don't want to." Came the girl's stubborn reply.

"Its not good to be picky. Please?"

"No."

"Petra-"

"I don't want to eat!" Petra shouted, causing a few soldiers from the other tables to turn and look at them.

"Petra!" Eld didn't mean to sound so harsh and regretted it instantly. He saw tears forming in the young girl's eyes and she sniffled once before jumping off the chair and dashing for the door.

"Eld!" Oluo sounded exasperated.

"What? I didn't do anything!" He had just wanted her to eat. Why was she being so stubborn?

"I think she's just missing her parents again. When I used to babysit my siblings, some of them would just cry over any little thing because they wanted Mother and Father, not me. Some kids just act a little picky or stubborn when they're missing people." Oluo explained.

"Damn it." Eld sighed as he got up from the table, leaving his meal on the table. "Let's go find her."

* * *

They found her sitting against the wall outside the dining room. She had her hands wrapped around her legs, with her face pressed against her knees. Oluo nudged Eld forward as they stood before her. She didn't move or look at Eld when he moved to sit down beside her.

"Petra, I'm sorry." Eld apologized. Petra sniffled but didn't say anything. "You don't have to do anything, alright? If you don't want to eat, you don't want to. Does that sound okay?"

"I want Mother." Her voice cracked as she spoke.

"Petra, it's okay. Just wait a few more days. She'll come soon so don't cry." Petra raised her head from her knees as she looked at Eld.

"Promise?"

"... Promise." Eld vowed that he would make sure Petra saw her parents when she returned to normal. If only to make him feel less guilty for lying to her. They would not bring the Rals unless there was no other option. Both of her parent's would look very different to Petra than what she remembered. What if she did not believe they were her parents? Eld prayed Hanje would figure out something to fix this situation before something like that could happen.

Eventually Eld, Oluo and Gunther coaxed Petra back into the dining room. She sat quietly while the men finished their meal but eventually ate a small portion of her dinner. She seemed to feel better after that. Nifa came by to take her for the night when they finished.

* * *

The next morning Petra was back to being her cheerful self. Nifa had bathed and dressed her, again in clothes to big for her, and dropped her off with Eren in the morning. Later that afternoon, Oluo had come by to pick her up. Commander Erwin had arrived and wanted to see her.

The Commander had already been informed of the situation and now wanted to see Petra in person. The girl was nervous as she followed Oluo into a large room. She saw Captain Levi and the scary ponytailed woman standing beside a large desk. She was happy to see that Eld and Gunther were already here as well.

"This is Commander Erwin, Petra." Oluo introduced as she looked up at the man for the first time. He was really tall and his hair was blonde. His eyebrows were big and funny-looking though. She thought they looked like furry caterpillars.

"Ah!" Petra did a clumsy salute when she saw Oluo doing it, with one hand behind his back. Commander Erwin smiled at her attempt and Petra found that she couldn't help but grin back. His smile was really nice.

"Now isn't this an interesting situation." The tall man mused as he looked at Petra. He found it quite disconcerting to see one of the more promising soldiers of the Survey Corps in such a state. He stepped forward and knelt front of the girl, offering her his hand. She looked at his hand and then at him before ignoring his hand and giving the tall man a hug instead. Petra liked him already.

Erwin face changed to one of shock for just a moment before he wrapped his own arms around her and picked her up. Petra held on tight as he lifted her.

"Huh, I thought your eyebrows would have scared her off." Petra giggled softly at Levi's words but hoped he didn't hear. Erwin ignored the shorter man's words and spoke to the girl he now held.

"Now Petra, has everyone been treating you well?"

"Mmhmm! I got to play with the horses!"

"You like horses?"

"Yeah! Can I ride one please? No one will let me but if you say yes…" Petra attempted to be cute and smiled brightly at the man holding her. Since this man was the Commander that would mean everyone would have to do what he said. If she could just get him to agree to letting her ride the horses then everyone else would have to let her!

"Then I'll say yes. As long as you are not riding alone and you behave, alright?"

"Thank you!" Petra squealed in delight and gave him another hug.

"She takes well to you, sir. I don't think she liked any of us that quick." Eld sounded amused.

"I must have a way with children." The commander smirked. He stepped over to his desk and sat the young girl on a bare patch.

"Sit here Petra. The rest of us are going to discuss a few things." Petra understood that there was something important they wanted to talk about and nodded.

"So how has the progress been going on returning our soldier to her rightful condition?" Erwin began.

"Uh, not as well as expected but I believe I should be able to figure out something soon." Hanje explained with a sheepish smile.

"We cannot afford to lose such a skilled soldier, Hanje. Please do all you can."

"Of course but if Levi would just let me-"

"No. Test those disgusting rats you keep but keep away from my soldier. I don't trust you not make it worse. I also don't want to hear her crying all day from fear of you." Levi snapped before Hanje could finish her statement.

"Can I at least get another blood sample?" Hanje pleaded as Levi glared at her.

"You already got one the first night this happened."

"Hanje, we are going to have a talk after this meeting about these experiments. For now though, what happened to the rats you tested your experiments on? In short please." Erwin interrupted before his subordinates could continue their conversation.

"... Well, after giving them the mixture, most of the rats became aggressive. They would also eat everything they could get their paws on but I am happy to say that they did not turn to cannibalism. Many showed signs of increased strength, which was what I was aiming for. The effects lasted a minimum of three days and wore off after a week. None of the rats were hurt from my repeated experiments so I felt it was safe to begin human testing. What happened after the first human test was completely unexpected." Hanje explained.

"So could we expect that this will wear off?"

"It seems likely but I can't be certain. If-"

"No." Levi interjected quickly, already knowing what the woman would ask.

"How about we hold off on the experiments for just a few more days and see it it wears off first?" Erwin suggested.

"... If that is what you want." Hanje looked crestfallen.

Petra listened to all of this but did not understand what was going on. It didn't really interest her anyway. She would get to ride horses soon! She lost interest in the conversation around her and began to daydream about what she would tell her parents when they finally came to get her. She would tell them all about her new friends and the things she was able to do.

Soon the conversation ended and everyone began to leave the room. Petra kept far away from the ponytailed woman, who she now knew as Hanje, as she followed Oluo. The girl made sure to wave goodbye to the Commander before she headed for the door. The tall man smiled at her in return as she left, leaving just him and Hanje behind.


	8. Chapter 8

"How is Petra today? Has there been any changes?" Levi asked as he and Eld sat in the dining room. Both sat with a cup of tea before them as they enjoyed the quiet. The room was empty except for the two men, for now.

"She complained of a stomach ache this morning but other than that nothing has changed, Captain." Eld answered with a sigh.

"Hmm."

"I miss Petra." Eld admitted. "I am quite fond of Petra now. She's quite adorable but I do miss her older self."

"She'll be returned to her former condition. I'll make sure Hanje fixes this."

"I hope so… Why don't you talk to her, Captain? She doesn't seem as afraid of you anymore." The blonde man wanted his Captain to at least try to befriend the little girl. "Petra's not messy or filthy. She bathes every day. She's also pretty well-behaved."

"I'm not the type that should be around children."

"Why not? I'm sure she'll like you, she's very friendly. And her older self respects you highly."

Levi didn't say anything in return and Eld left it at that.

* * *

Petra stumbled as she walked beside Gunther. She ginger haired girl quickly righted herself and continued on. Gunther had seen what happened though.

"You alright, Petra?"

"Yeah!" She responded brightly.

"Do you want some water? Maybe you've been walking too much, did you want to sit?"Gunther asked worriedly.

"I'm fine!" Petra lied. She really didn't feel that good but she didn't want to bother anyone. Her head and tummy had been hurting since she woke up this morning.

"Are you sure?" Gunther asked, trying to figure out if she was lying. Petra nodded and grabbed his hand to pull him forward towards the kitchen. Maybe she just hadn't eaten enough at breakfast.

* * *

The soft afternoon light shone through Levi's window, onto his desk and the papers he worked upon. As Levi read, he could hear the footsteps of soldiers outside his door. The dark haired man sighed as he finished the first of several stacks of paper. Most of his paperwork required a fair bit reading and Levi had long since grown bored.

As Levi lost himself in the next document he heard soft, but quick footsteps nearing his room. Then a thump. A small cry got him up from the desk to find out what had happened. He briskly walked to the door and opened it up.

Levi stepped into the dark hallway to find a small figure on the ground, clutching her leg. Startled, Petra looked up at him with wide eyes. Levi took a look around and, to his dismay, found that there was no other person in sight. The man heard Petra whimper as she tried to get up.

"You alright?" Levi asked quietly. Petra nodded and scrambled to her feet. She flinched when she put weight on her legs. Levi could see the glimmer of tears in the girl's eyes and a dark stain on her the knee of her left pant leg. She was lying, of course. Probably to try and get away from him as fast as she could.

"You're hurt." He stated. The dark haired man had some supplies in his room that he could use to help her, he remembered.

"I'm sorry, I tripped." Petra apologized. "I'll just go and-"

"I can bandage it for you, if you don't mind." Levi interrupted, not really expecting her to say yes. He did want to help but he doubted she would accept it. If she preferred to find someone else to help her then he would at least try to escort her there. He would not allow a hurt child to wander around.

Levi watched her face as she thought about it. He was surprised when she slowly nodded her head.

* * *

"Thank you." Petra finally spoke once Levi had finished cleaning and bandaging the scrape on her leg. It was the first thing she said after coming into his room. She sat on a chair by the desk while Levi sat on another as he tended to her. She had lost some of the fear she felt towards him, he now noticed.

"You're been awfully quiet. Don't you normally talk more?" Levi wondered as he returned the medical supplies back into a drawer in his desk.

"I thought... It would bother you." Petra shyly admitted.

"You're surprisingly considerate for a brat." Levi bluntly stated. She looked up at him with a tilted head, not quite sure how to respond to that statement.

"Umm. What are you doing?" Petra asked instead, after noticing the piles of papers on the desk. Levi gave her a quick glance and saw that she was looking at his desk.

"Just some paperwork." Levi responded. "Give me about ten minutes to finish and I'll take you back to your room." The dark haired man loathed leaving things unfinished. It wouldn't take him long to finish reading and signing the next document.

"Okay but.. What are they for?"

"Nothing that would interest you."

"Oh…" Petra caught sight of something near her. It had many names written on it. "Are these all soldiers' names?"

Levi looked over at the papers and nodded. The document contained the names of every soldier that had joined the Survey Corps in the last ten years. Petra gingerly touched it and took a look at a few of its other pages. Levi didn't stop her until she tried to read what was written beside the names. He gently pulled the document away from her and placed it back in the stack.

"Sorry." Petra smiled sheepishly. She placed her hands in her lap and tried to remember not to touch things that did not belong to her.

"There are that many soldier here." The girl spoke again, shocked at all the names she had seen on those papers. Levi didn't say anything as he sat down and began to work again. Realizing she may be beginning to annoy him, Petra just quietly watched him.

After a few minutes, Petra yawned and rubbed her eyes, wincing when her head began to hurt again. She lifted her legs onto the chair and rested her head upon them. As Captain Levi continued to read, Petra's eyes began to close. The little girl tried her hardest to keep them open but she failed. A minute later and she was fast asleep in the chair.

* * *

Levi intertwined his hands, stretched them before him and cracked his knuckles after he finished his work. The man picked the document up and placed it onto his finished pile. He would walk the girl to her room now. It would be a nice break from all this goddamn paperwork.

Levi turned to look at her and frowned. Petra had fallen asleep in the chair. Had she not been sleeping well lately?

For a moment, the Captain was at a loss. Should he wake her? Carry her to her room? Find someone else to do it for him?

Thankfully he was saved from making a decision by the arrival of Nifa. Since Levi had left his door open, Nifa glanced inside while she was walking along and stopped when she noticed Petra.

"Can you take her back to her room?" Levi asked.

"Ah, yes, Captain!" Nifa rushed inside and gently picked up the girl with a fond smile. She didn't ask any questions as to why the girl was in his room in the first place. "I'll let your men know where she is, sir."

"Thank you. Shut the door on your way out."

"Yes, sir!"


	9. Chapter 9

Levi sighed in exasperation as he noticed the small form in the corner of his eyes. It was Petra, peeking into his room again. She had been loitering outside his door that morning for the last ten minutes, occasionally glancing inside but trying to be discreet about it. She hadn’t realized Levi already knew she was there.

 

The man didn’t know what the girl wanted, but he was growing irritated that she was distracting him from his paperwork. Levi could get up and talk to her but he was reluctant to. He didn’t want to scare or upset her if he came across as rude. So instead he waited, hoping Petra would gain the courage to enter and tell him what she wanted.

 

Finally, after another few minutes, Petra entered the room. She was quick. There was a small thump as she dashed inside to drop something on the floor and retreated just as fast.

 

Levi looked over at the ground, curious at what Petra left. On the floor of his room was a pot with a single violet wildflower. A gift? For him?

 

The dark haired man got up from his chair and walked over to pick up the pot. Levi frowned at the gift, he wasn’t a fan of flowers. Even less ones in a container full of dirt. If anyone knocked it over, it would cause a mess. He felt the urge to toss the thing even though a small part of him was almost flattered at receiving such thing.

 

Hesitating as he was about to upend the pot into the waste bin, Levi then thought about Petra. What if she saw that he had thrown away her gift? It might destroy the little bit of trust she had for him, or just make her cry. Neither option was appealing.

 

Levi looked over at the windowsill. After a minute of internal debate, the man sighed. He walked over the the window and gently placed the pot in the sunlight. The Captain decided he would throw it out once Petra was back to her rightful self.

 

* * *

 

“Can I sleep with Eren today?” Petra asked Oluo as she followed him back to the rooms. She hadn’t seen the brown haired boy today and missed him. Her parents would be coming for her soon and she wanted to see Eren at least one more time before she had to leave.

 

“What? Why?” Oluo questioned, surprised at her request.

 

“He’s nice and I like him!” Petra smiled as she said this, but Oluo noticed it seemed a little strained. She’s been rather subdued today, Eld and Gunther had noticed as well.

 

“Petra, are you alright?” The older man asked, seeing that something was off.

 

“Well… Umm. My tummy hurts but I’m okay! Please can stay with Eren? I’ll be good!” Petra pleaded, her amber eyes begging the man. Knowing he was in trouble, Oluo scratched the back of his head as he thought about what to do. How could he say no to her with that face?

 

“Tch. Fine.” Oluo rolled his eyes at how easily he was swayed by the girl. He’d let Nifa know that she wouldn’t have to sleep with Petra tonight. Eren was good with the girl so Oluo didn’t feel like there was a risk in letting her stay with Eren for one night. As long as she was happy.

 

“Thank you!” Petra squealed in delight, running up to hug the much taller man tight. The white haired man laughed and awkwardly hugged her back. He didn’t notice Petra wince in pain a few moments later.

 

* * *

 

That night, as Eren lay down to sleep, he moved until he was as far away from Petra as possible. Even if she was a child, the girl was still his superior. It was a little awkward to be sleeping in the same bed as her, knowing she would likely remember this when she returned to normal. The boy was also secretly very afraid of hurting her.

 

Petra didn’t notice how much Eren tried to keep his distance from her. She wanted to sleep but found that she could not. Her head hurt. So did her tummy.

 

Eren noticed the ginger-haired girl moved around a lot, making small sounds of frustration every so often.

 

“Petra, are you alright?” Eren asked, worried about her. She didn’t seem herself today. She had smiled, laughed and played but something had seemed off about her sometimes.

 

“... Yeah.” Her reply was toneless. The boy knew she wasn’t being truthful.

 

“Are you sure? You don’t sound well.” Eren pried, hoping she would tell him what was wrong.

 

“I’m fine. I’m sleepy.” Petra lied again and turned to bury her face in a pillow.

 

“Alright. Uh, goodnight Petra.” Eren didn’t what else to say to make her talk to him.

 

“... Night.”

 

* * *

 

Eren woke to small whimpers being emitted from somewhere beside him. He blinked in confusion and then snapped into wakefulness. Remembering where he was and who he was with, Eren panicked. His eyes widened and scrambled into a sitting position. Had he hurt Petra in his sleep?

 

Eren looked over and found Petra clutching her stomach and curled up into a ball on the other end of the bed. She wasn’t facing him so he couldn’t see her expression. The boy moved beside her, carefully placing his hand comfortingly on her back.

 

“Petra, what’s wrong?” Eren asked, worry evident in his voice.

 

“My tummy hurts... And my head.” Petra’s watery voice replied.

 

“D-Did I hurt you?” Eren stammered. The girl shook her head and Eren breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“Are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you want me to bring something?” Eren tried asking. Petra shook her head and turned to him. She moved closer and grabbed onto his shirt to pull him down.

 

“You just want to sleep?” The boy asked and she shook her head.

 

“I want mommy.” Petra admitted. Eren felt his breath catch. When he was her age, he always wanted his mom when he didn’t feel good. She’d always somehow make him feel better no matter what.

 

“It’s okay Petra, your mom is going to be here soon and you can tell her all about your adventures with us.” Eren soothed, remembering what Levi’s squad had told him.

 

“... What if she’s not coming?” Her question had Eren wishing he had never given Petra that drink with every fiber of his being. She sounded so lost and scared.

 

“She will Petra don’t worry. Just wait a little while longer.” Eren tried to comfort her again but it didn’t seem to work.

 

“But I want mommy _now._ I just want to see her!”

 

“I know, Petra. It will be okay, just give it a few more days.”

 

“Please, I miss her!” Petra’s voice was breaking, though she was trying her hardest not to cry.

 

“I know.” Eren felt his own eyes mist up in response to Petra’s sorrow and his own memories. He wished with all his heart he could give Petra what she wanted. He could even admit to himself that he still wanted his mother as well. But he was never going to see her again. The smiling Titan had made sure of that. Eren’s voice wavered as he spoke, admitting a truth. “I want my mom too.”

 

“Bring mommy!” Petra wailed, not caring that she was crying now. Mommy made things better. She always did.

 

“Petra… I can’t… I don’t know…” Eren hesitated, not knowing how he could help the young girl in this situation.

 

 _“I  want mommy_ _!”_ The girl cried out again, clutching Eren to her. He wasn’t what she wanted but he was here with her. It was a small comfort.

 

“Petra please stop. It’s okay, they’ll come soon. Don’t worry.” Eren pat her on the back, still hopeful he could get her to stop.

 

“No! _No!_ ” She shook her head, then buried it into his chest.

 

Eren swallowed and closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around Petra and resting his chin on her head as she continued sobbing. Eren was at a loss. He could hardly hold it together himself. How was he supposed to handle this? How could he make her stop?

 

Petra cried for some time, with Eren trying futilely to comfort and rock her back to sleep.

 

* * *

 

“What’s going on?” Levi’s voice broke through Eren and Petra’s misery. Eren jerked out of his thoughts. Petra gasped, recognizing the voice, and jumped a little in his arms.

 

“Captain… I’m sorry. Petra misses her mom can’t make her stop crying. She doesn’t think she’s coming back for her.” Eren admitted softly. Petra pushed herself harder against Eren, burying her head against his body.

 

Her body shook as Petra thought she would be in trouble for making so much noise. She tried to stop crying but couldn’t help the small whimpers that kept coming out of her throat.

 

Levi stood before the cell, seeing Eren and Petra huddled together. He had been making tea when he heard faint sobbing coming from the dungeons. Already informed of the Petra’s sleeping arrangements, the man knew it must be Petra. He quickly went down to investigate.

 

The Captain noticed that Eren wasn’t looking at him directly. The boy’s voice had been shaky and there was the telltale glistening wetness on the cheek facing him. The man sighed internally, hoping he could fix this situation without making things worse for everyone here.

 

Levi entered the cell and then moved toward the bed. When he was close, he finally spoke.

 

“Petra.” The girl didn’t say anything. He said her name again, a little more sternly. He heard something then. A small ‘yes’.

 

“You miss your parents?” A nod, though she did not look at him. “I need you to look at me.”

 

At first she did not move but Eren nudged her. She pulled away from Eren slowly and turned to face Levi. Her eyes were red rimmed and her nose was runny. She sniffled.

 

“Here, clean yourself up.” Levi pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and held it out. The girl hesitantly reached for it, taking it out of his hand. She quickly wiped her eyes and blew her nose into the cloth.

 

“Good. Now Petra, do you think we’d lie to you about your parents? Your big brothers and sisters?”

 

“... N-No.” Petra response was almost too quiet to hear.

 

“Well then, if they are coming, why are you crying?”

 

“Because it _h-hurts_ … Mommy... M-Made it b-better. I m-miss her.”

 

“Where does it hurt?” Levi asked with a frown. Had she hurt herself again? Or was this some side effect of Hanje’s concoction?

 

“H-Here.” Petra pointed at her stomach. And then her head. “And here.”

 

“Alright. Why don’t I get you something to make it feel better?” Levi knew there was some tea that would help with stomach pain. The female members of the squad normally took it when they needed it. He hoped it would help Petra as well. The girl nodded at his offer.

 

“I still want m-mommy.” Petra admitted softly. She had stopped making noises.

 

“She’ll come. Trust us.” When Petra didn’t say anything, Levi continued. “Don’t you think your mother would be sad to know you’ve been crying? Wouldn't she want you to be strong?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Then be a strong little soldier. You do want to be one of us, right?” Levi’s words seemed to be helping Petra. And Eren. The boy felt like some of what his Captain said was meant for him too. His mother would want him to be strong. So he would be. Petra seemed to feel the same.

 

“Yeah!” Her voice was stronger then. There was determination in it. Both Levi and Eren felt a wave of relief.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking to long to update this!


	10. Chapter 10

“HEY! LEVI!” Levi cringed at the loud voice so late at night. He hadn’t been able to sleep again so he’d been sitting at his desk, just thinking. There was a loud bang as someone crashed into the door to his room. In moments, the person on the other side opened the door and stumbled in.

 

“I DID IT!” Hange, looking more dishevelled than usual, shouted excitedly. She was breathing hard, likely having run here from her ‘lab’.

 

“Did what? Levi asked. He already figured she must have made a cure for Petra but you never knew with this woman. She could have just done another inane experiment and wanted to share.

 

“Hello? The cure. You know. That one for Petra?” The woman explained slowly, as if talking to a toddler. She pulled out a vial from a bag on her hip and shook it at him. “And here I thought you’d be happy that you can finally have your subordinate back.”

 

“You made it? And you made sure its safe?” Levi questioned. He would not risk anything else happening.

 

“Of course! I tested it thoroughly my little rodent test subjects. It reversed the effects every time. There was no ill effects with this batch, I swear! Just a little increase in appetite. It should work on Petra… Well, I hope.” Hange added the last part.

 

“I’m not sure I like that. But there is no choice at this point. We need her back.” Levi said resolutely. Deciding that it was the best choice, Levi held out his hand. “Give it to me.”

 

“What? Why? I want to administer it! I need to see what happens.” Hange begged. “I’m the one who made it after all.”

 

“And you are the one who got us into this mess in the first place. No way in hell, Glasses. Give me the serum.” Levi ordered.

 

Crestfallen, Hange did so. She looked so dejected that Levi had a moment of regret. Sighing to himself, Levi thought he might allow Hange a bit of kindness.

 

“You may have Moblit stay with Petra and study the effects. Not you.”

 

“Really? Yippee!” Hange jumped up. “I knew you weren’t as heartless as you like to act! I’ll go tell him right now!”

 

“Wait!” Levi called as Hange turned around to bolt away. “So how do I administer it?”

 

“Oh, it's easy! I figured she wouldn’t be too fond of needles so you just have to give it to her orally.” 

 

“You’re surprisingly thoughtful... For once.”

 

“Just this one time!” She laughed as she turned and hurried away.

 

Looking at the vial in his hands, Levi hoped Hange had really succeeded and this cure worked.

* * *

 

The next morning Petra was surprised to find Levi sitting at their breakfast table. Eren had taken her to the dining room but left her afterwards for the bathroom. Another man, who she remembered was named Moblit was there as well. He had his notebook out before him. Oluo, Eld and Gunther were there too.

 

“Morning Petra” Eld greeted.

 

“Good morning.” She said tiredly. She still didn’t feel good but she didn’t want to complain.

 

“You look tired, kid, what’s wrong?” Oluo asked. He had noticed something wrong straight away.

 

“I still don’t feel good.” Petra admitted, not wanting to lie. “I’m really tired.”

 

“Does your head still hurt?” Gunther asked. Levi had told them about what transpired last night.

 

The girl nodded and her three teammates at the table looked at each other worriedly. They didn’t think that was normal.

 

“What is that?” Petra asked as Levi upended a vial of liquid in a cup of tea. It was a dark red color and watery.

 

“It’s some medicine for you. It will help you feel better.” Levi lied, knowing he couldn’t really be certain.

 

“Oh… Thank you.” Petra innocently smiled at the Captain. The man felt a pang of regret at his lie. She was too trusting. He hoped Hange’s concoction would return Petra to her former self without complication.

 

“Moblit volunteered stay with you. He’ll be around quite a bit, just to make sure you are alright.” Eld said as Petra reached for the tea.

 

“Okay!”

 

* * *

 

“Eld…” Petra voiced quietly. Eld was busy checking over and cleaning his 3DGM gear. Moblit was doing the same but Petra noticed he always seemed to be staring at her. It was a little uncomfortable. It seemed to her that he took his job of looking after her a little too seriously. She didn’t mind too much though, only because he let her look as his sketches. He was a really good artist.

 

“What’s wrong?” The blonde man asked.

 

“I’m hungry.”

 

“Again?” Eld said incredulously. She had already eaten twice already. Once at breakfast and another time an hour later. Whatever Levi had given her seemed to increase her appetite exponentially.

 

Petra nodded miserably and her stomach let loose a loud gurgle. Eld sighed and took her hand. Moblit followed them, writing something in his notebook.

 

As the three walked back to the dining room, Eld noticed that Petra seemed slightly taller than before. He shook his head, must be his imagination.

 

* * *

 

“This is the seventh meal she’s had today.” Gunther said as he watched the young girl voraciously tuck into her most recent meal. It was a few hours past dinner but Petra had complained she was hungry again. As the girl ate, Gunther noticed she didn’t seem to take any pleasure from it.

 

Her three teammates stood a bit of distance away from the table where Petra sat. Moblit was with her, showing her more of his drawings. He was trying to cheer her up.

 

“Yeah. Maybe that’s supposed to happen though?” Oluo seemed uncertain.

 

“I don’t know but have you guys noticed she seems a little taller today? And a little… Bulkier?” Eld asked. “I thought I was imagining it before but she seems to have grown a few inches. And I swear I can see that’s she’s getting a little bit of muscle.”

 

“Now that you mention it, yes. I thought I was just seeing things as well.” Gunther admitted.

 

As the men continued to watch, the girl finished her meal and gulped down a pitcher of water.

 

* * *

 

Afterwards, Petra sluggishly followed the men to Nifa’s room. She had her hands on her stomach as it was still hurting.

 

“You okay Petra?”

 

“...No…” She said tearfully. “My tummy hurts.”

 

“You ate quite a bit there. I’m not surprised. Maybe you should cut back-” Oluo was cut off by Eld kicking the back of his leg.

 

“I’m sorry… I was just so hungry.” Petra’s voice wobbled a little as she spoke.

 

“Don’t worry. Why don’t we all sleep and maybe everything will be better tomorrow?” Gunther said before Petra could get too upset.

 

* * *

 

“Not you.” Nifa’s voice was firm.

 

“What do you mean? My squad leader wants to make sure I record everything that happens. You can’t leave me out here.” Moblit seemed distressed at being denied entry into the room.

 

“Yes, actually, I can. You have no right to be in the same room as two sleeping women.” Her statement left no room for argument.

 

In the end, Moblit ended up sitting outside. If something happened, Nifa promised to let him know.

 

* * *

 

As she lay in bed that night, Petra miserably tossed and turned. She was tired, and she thought she was getting hungry again. She already woke up Nifa once and she got the woman to get her another meal. Moblit, weirdly, had been right outside and asked Petra bunch of questions before Nifa came back. The woman brought enough food for several meals and left a large bucket of water on a table in case Petra got hungry or thirsty again.

 

Now Nifa was fast asleep on the bed. Thankfully she seemed to be a very heavy sleeper. It had been very hard to wake her up the first time.

 

As Petra lethargically moved off the bed, she remembered something. When she was ten she had a pet cat named Flower. He was an adorable little snow white cat. But that memory didn’t seem right. Wasn’t she eight? Wait, no-. She was six… Right?

 

Petra was confused.

 

The girl shook her head, feeling a wave of dizziness come over her. Before her stomach could start rumbling again, Petra went to the table and ate some more. She then washed down her meal with another pitcher’s worth of water. She wondered where all the food was going to. She hadn’t gone to the bathroom all day and her stomach didn’t look bloated.

 

As she tried to lay back in bed, Petra finally noticed her clothes seemed smaller than she remembered. The legs of her pants didn’t reach her ankles and her shirt was very tight across her torso and arms. Unsure what was going on, she ended up rummaging through Nifa’s things and changed into some of the older woman’s night clothes.

 

Still confused, Petra didn’t worry about how her clothes had shrunk. She just closed her eyes and prayed for sleep.

* * *

 

There was a scream next morning.

 

“PETRA!” Nifa’s cry echoed in the castle walls. Moblit, who had been sleeping outside jumped up at the sound. He scrambled to open the door to Nifa’s room. It wasn’t locked and he was inside in moments.

 

Inside, Moblit saw what had made Nifa cry out. Petra was sitting wide eyed on the bed, likely having just woken up because of Nifa as well. She looked just as she had before Hange’s experiment had regressed her age. She looked like her adult self again.

 

Several other people rushed towards the room, having been awake early and waiting nearby. They had been worried.

 

“What the hell! Eld? Oluo? Gunther?” Petra, still in Nifa’s nightwear, screamed as her male teammates barged into the room. She wasn’t sure what was going on or what she was doing in someone else’s room but she knew one thing. No one barged into a woman’s room like this. “GET THE FUCK OUT!”

 

* * *

 

Bruised and thrown out of the room, Petra’s three teammates looked at each other before they burst out laughing. Their friend was back.

 

Moblit looked dejected as he sat against a wall. He had missed out on observing a large portion of Petra's transformation back. Hange would not be happy.

 

* * *

 

Petra didn’t remember much of her time as a child. She didn’t believe it when everyone told her the same story, that she had spent a week as a six year old... But small fragments of memories remained. She remembered being six and being with Eld, Oluo, Gunther and the rest. That wasn’t possible, was it?

 

Eventually, Petra accepted the truth as more memories resurfaced. She apologized to everyone she could, knowing they hadn’t signed up for babysitting duty. They were soldiers not nannies.

 

Everyone seemed amused and Petra could not help but be embarrassed. No one was angry with her, which was good. Oddly, Eren seemed rather shy around her. She couldn’t remember all of her interactions with him but she knew she had really liked him.

 

Hange had come up to Petra and given her an apology, along with a big hug. She then began to pepper her with questions about how she was feeling and what she remembered. Petra tried to answer her as much as she could but she could tell it wasn't enough for the squad leader. The younger woman just didn't remember much of her time as a child. It was for that reason that she wasn't too mad at Hange. And because Petra had heard how upset she was when it turned out Moblit hadn't been able to observe her full transformation back. The ginger-haired woman felt as if that was punishment enough.

 

* * *

 

Petra apologized to her Captain last, nervous at what he might say. At what she might have done.

 

“I’m sorry, Captain.” Petra began. “I don’t remember much but I realize I must have been a handful. I’ll take whatever punishments you have for me, for whatever bad behavior I displayed.”

 

“Don’t worry about it.” Levi waved her off.

 

“Sir?”

 

“You were pretty alright, for a snot nosed brat. It’s Shitty Glasses’ fault anyway. I won’t punish you but you will have you train for longer than normal. You have some catching up to do.”

 

“I understand.” Petra smiled brightly. “And thank you. sir.”

 

“You’re welcome.” Levi said and turned back to his work. Cleaning. Before Petra turned to leave she noticed a violet flower on his windowsill. She opened her mouth to say something and then frowned. She shook her head and turned away. The flower seemed familiar but the memory eluded her grasp. Maybe she would remember another time.

 

After Petra left, Levi walked over to the pot. He had noticed Petra stare at it. The man realized he could toss it now. He wouldn’t have to feel guilty now that his subordinate was an adult again.

 

As Levi picked up the flower, he remembered Petra’s shyness when she gifted it to him. It had taken her a long time to be able to build up the courage to give it to him. Hesitating, the Captain placed the pot back on his windowsill. It wasn’t that big a deal to keep it a while longer. If it fell over and caused a mess, he could easily clean it.

 

As the Captain returned to his task once more, he sighed in relief. His team was complete once more. And Levi would make sure they were ready for what came next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to edit and post this a while ago but I forgot. ^.^'  
> Better late than never? I also haven't written for this story in a long time so forgive me if the continuity is off.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who read and/or commented on this story! I'm sorry I left it unfinished for so long!


End file.
